See Long Beach Aquarium Pictures,

& make plans for a fun visit to the Aquarium of the Pacific!

In the slide show above, you've been viewing pictures of the Aquarium of the Pacific (popularly called the Long Beach Aquarium.)

Among the photos above, you'll see---

* Pictures of the Aquarium of the Pacific entrance, and of the aquarium's outdoor patio exhibit area

* Images of the playful dolphin statues and fountain in front of the aquarium

* Pictures of touch tanks---and rays swimming by that you can actually pet! (Why do rays feel slimy, have you ever wondered? The aquarium explains that it's because their bodies have a protective coating of mucous all over them!)

Pics of colorful fish, including clownfish (like in the Disney-Pixar "Finding Nemo" movie!)

* A picture of the giant blue whale hanging in the aquarium's entrance foyer. The Aquarium of the Pacific's blue whale model is 88 feet long---quite huge, indeed! Yet, according to the aquarium, this size whale wouldn't be a giant...because Blue Whales can reach a length of 110 feet long!

Activities at the Long Beach Aquarium

The Aquarium of the Pacific always has something going on!

You're going to have a busy schedule when you visit the Aquarium of the Pacific! One of the reason that the aquarium in Long Beach keeps visitors interested & constantly learning is because there are activities to enjoy in addition to viewing the displays of sea creatures.

Check the schedule you're given as you enter the aquarium! You'll be advised about "fish feeding" times and special programs. Here's a sampling of some Long Beach Aquarium activities you may run across during the course of your visit:

1.) Fish Feedings: you can watch divers descend into the depths in several of the aquarium's largest tanks. Take a good look at the diver on his way into the tank---you might not be seeing him again for awhile! The fish soon begin to swarm around him as he feeds them...and they get so thick, you can no longer view the scuba diver!

In the picture of "fish feeding time" at the Long Beach Aquarium (to you left) you can see a scuba diver feeding fish. Can you guess what that green stuff is? It's lettuce!

2.) Otter Shows: The Otter Exhibit has live shows, too. Employees familiar with the aquarium's otters enter their habitat area and tell guests about otters "in general," AND about the history of each otter at the aquarium. As the staff members speak, you can enjoy watching the playful antics of the otters...who even have their own kiddie slide for playtime!

3.) Story time: An amphitheater out on the aquarium's patio area holds a story time for young children. Interesting, nature-themed tales are shared with the kids and their parents by a docent who very obviously likes what she's doing!

4.) 3D Movie: For an extra fee, you can see a sea-related movie in the aquarium's theater. But, this show is aimed at adding some lively fun for kids. It's 3D presentation style pops out of the screen at you---and puts grins & giggles on the faces of the youngsters in your group!

Clownfish like Nemo & Blue Tang fish like Dory! Speaking of movies, if your children love the popular Disney-Pixar animated film, "Finding Nemo," they'll LOVE viewing the Long Beach Aquarium's clownfish tank! In the picture of the clownfish tank to your right, you can see that not all clown fish are orange & white (like little Nemo and his father, Marlin.) Also in this same tank, you can see fish just like Dory, too! Dory is a blue tang fish. The real-life Nemos and Dorys swim together peacefully and happily---just like in the "Finding Nemo" movie.

Interactive fun at the Aquarium of the Pacific

You don't have to follow a schedule to have fun at the Long Beach Aquarium, however. There are several interactive attractions you can enjoy at the Aquarium of the Pacific...no matter what time of day you stroll by them.

1.) Touch tanks: Touch tanks are popular interactive attractions at the aquarium. There are several touch tanks at the Aquarium of the Pacific, both indoors and outside in the large outdoor patio area. To your left, you see a picture of a star fish and a sea anemone in an indoor touch tank at the aquarium. Can you touch these? YES!

You can touch rays, too! In the slide show at the top of this page, you saw several rays swimming along. These rays are exhibited in touch tanks outside the aquarium...and you can touch these, too!

2.) Docents at the Aquarium of the Pacific: Another way that the Long Beach Aquarium offers interactivity is through its large staff of volunteers. There are over 600 people in this aquarium's docent program! And, you'll find them stationed all around the aquarium, both indoors and outside, just waiting for you to ask them questions & share their knowledge with you!

Should YOU ask a question? YES! Don't feel shy or silly. They LIKE answering questions. And when you (or your children) ask questions, it will become a part of your aquarium visit that you will never forget!

3.) Lorikeet Forest and feeding: There is a Lorikeet compound in the outdoor patio area of the aquarium. For a small extra fee, you may purchase nectar to feed the lorikeets...which roam freely within the compound. Feeding these colorful birds is a fun way to spend some time "up close & personal" with them.

Aquarium of the Pacific's Galleries

Attractive exhibits are grouped by theme at the Long Beach Aquarium

You'll do some "pain free" learning at the Aquarium of the Pacific! The exhibits here are attractive, and you'll see videos, read signs, or talk to staff members as you tour through them. You'll be having fun...and may not even realize you're learning all about sea life as you spend your enjoyable afternoon at the aquarium!

The Aquarium of the Pacific is especially proud of its 3 main galleries: the Southern California/Baja Gallery; the Northern Pacific Gallery; and the Tropical Pacific Gallery. Within these areas, you'll find fish and other marine plants & animals which can be found in these specific geographical areas. (Check the aquarium's website---link below---for audio tours you can download into your MP3 players before you arrive. Or, another way to see the galleries is by guided tour (extra fee.)

In addition, you'll see other specialty areas at the aquarium, including a magnificent jellyfish and sea nettle collection, a "fearsome" Shark Lagoon, a Shorebird Sanctuary, and another gallery which features rotating exhibits.

Jellyfish lovers love the Long Beach Aquarium! The jellyfish collection at the Aquarium of the Pacific is a delight. In fact, an entire page of this website has been devoted to the Long Beach Aquarium's interesting and varied jellyfish exhibit. To watch a slide show and discover the fun facts you'll learn about jellyfish when you visit Long Beach, please head to the Aquarium of the Pacific jellyfish and sea nettles page of this website.

Long Beach Aquarium ticket prices, discounts & coupons

Save money when you visit the Aquarium of the Pacific!

Long Beach Aquarium Ticket Prices: Admission to the Aquarium of the Pacific costs $25.95 for adults & teens, $22.95 for Seniors (age 62+) and $14.95 for children between the ages of 3 and 11. Children age 2 and under gain free admission to the Long Beach Aquarium. This price is correct as of January, 2013, and is listed here for the purposes of planning your vacation trip budget. However, the aquarium may raise its prices at any time.

Aquarium of the Pacific discounts!

Now that you know how much full-price admission to the Long Beach Aquarium costs, you'll next start to wonder how you can get cheaper tickets that will save you money on your upcoming family outing. You're in luck! There are quite a few ways that you can save money on visits to the Aquarium of the Pacific! Here's a list of current aquarium discounts and coupon deals---

1.) Print At Home discount tickets: The Aquarium of the Pacific's own website offers you ways to save money! One way is to order your tickets online via the aquarium's official website (see link at the end of this page.) With the print-at-home discount, you might save some money, depending on the season. Children and Seniors do not usually get print-at-home ticket discounts; their tickets will be the same price as at the box office.

2.) Aquarium/Queen Mary Combo Tickets: If you'll be visiting another famous Long Beach attraction, The Queen Mary ocean liner, on the SAME DAY as the Aquarium of the Pacific, you can buy a 2-attraction discount ticket. As of January, 2013, the combo ticket price for adults is $42 (discounted from the normal price of $49.70 if both attractions were paid separately.) The children's combo price is $23. (Note: You can also get a different combo ticket if you'd rather enjoy a harbor tour along with your aquarium visit.) Combo tickets are available at the ticket windows of the participating attractions, or on the aquarium's website (see link at the end of this page.)

3.) The Los Angeles Go Card includes admission to the Long Beach Aquarium: If you'll be purchasing a Los Angeles Go Card, you will be pleased to know that the Aquarium of the Pacific is one of this discount program's included attractions. (With the Los Angeles Go Card, you actually make up your OWN discount plan from a long list of included attractions. You decide how many days you'd like to tour; then you may cram in as many attractions as you'd like into the days you have purchased. The Queen Mary is another Long Beach attraction included with the Los Angeles Go Card; so are Long Beach harbor & whale watching tours by Spirit Cruises. Other places on the list of Go Card attractions are Knott's Berry Farm, Six Flags Magic Mountain and Universal Studios Hollywood.) Getting a Los Angeles Go Card can save you lots of money if you want to see multiple Southern California attractions! But, to get savings this big, you can't buy the Los Angeles Go Card at the attractions' ticket booths. You must plan ahead and purchase the card via the internet. For further information, please visit the Go Los Angeles Card website.

4.) AAA discount to the Aquarium of the Pacific: You can save 10% on the adult's, children's and senior's tickets you're buying through the AAA's "Show your card & save" discount program. This offer may be used for up to 4 ticket purchases; it may not be combined with any other discount offers.

5.) Discount Coupon for Aquarium of the Pacific: On the official state tourism website, visitcalifornia.com, is a Fun Spots section that has coupons to a number of California attractions, and the Aquarium of the Pacific is one of them. It has a coupon for $5 off the price of an aquarium ticket which is good until the end of the year. Here is a link to the Visit California discount page that has the coupon.

6.) FREE day for Seniors: Every year, the Aquarium of the Pacific holds a free-admission day for Seniors age 50+. In 2013, this date will be September 6th from 9 am until 2 pm. Mark your calendars!

7.) Military Discounts: You may present your military ID card at the aquarium's ticket window to get a $3 discount off of teen/adult admission tickets. (Children ages 3-11 are eligible for a $1.50 discount.) Even better discounts are available if you pre-purchase your tickets on base at your MWR/ITT office before visiting the aquarium.

Aquarium of the Pacific phone, address, and contact information

Aquarium of the Pacific address: The Long Beach Aquarium's address is 100 Aquarium Way, Long Beach, CA 90802. You'll find this location at The Pike in Downtown Long Beach, just across the street from Bubba Gump's Restaurant. (It's also just down the street from the Long Beach Convention Center.) Here's a Google map to the Aquarium of the Pacific to help you find your way.

Parking at the Long Beach Aquarium: Visitors to the Aquarium of the Pacific get a special flat-fee rate of $8 when using the parking garage just across the street from the aquarium.

The Aquarium of the Pacific's phone number is (562) 590-3100.

Aquarium of the Pacific hours of operation: The aquarium opens at 9 am and closes at 6 pm almost every day of the year. The Long Beach Aquarium is closed on Christmas Day (December 25th) and also during the Grand Prix auto race (an annual Long Beach tradition.) There are a few days every April when the Aquarium is closed for the Long Beach Grand Prix.

Timed admission warning: Most times of the year, you will simply walk up to the ticket window, purchase your tickets, then enter the aquarium. However, you should be aware that if you head to the Long Beach Aquarium during a "busy season," meaning summers or holidays, the aquarium may be operating a Timed Entry program that day. In an effort to spread out crowds, you may be given an admission time that is 30 to 120+ minutes later than when you arrived. You may solve your waiting-time problem by either buying your tickets online in advance, or enjoying one of The Pike's other activities while you wait (eg. a waterfront stroll along the promenade, a harbor tour, or lunch in one of the many restaurants.)

Long Beach Aquarium website: You can find out a wealth of information of the aquarium's website. This includes a description of temporary exhibits currently on display, the title of the fun 3D movie currently playing in the aquarium's theater, and any seasonal or special events which are going on. You'll also discover opportunities for exciting extra-fee tours, which include animal encounters and/or going "behind the scenes" at the Aquarium. You may use the following link to browse through the Aquarium of the Pacific's official website, which is www.AquariumOfPacific.org.

MORE ZOO AND AQUARIUM PICTURES! --->

Use the button to your left to see photos of still MORE Southern California zoos, aquariums, and animal fun!